Anna's Adventure
by Queen of Fire and Ice
Summary: Thirteen-year-old Anna is tired of roaming the castle halls day after day. She decides to sneak out and explore the village.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Anna drifted slowly through the halls. As she passed Elsa's door, she stopped. She raised her hand to knock but thought better of it. Instead, she pressed her ear against the door and strained to hear any noise from inside. All was silent in her older sister's bedroom.

Anna turned away, heavyhearted. She and Elsa used to be very close. One day Elsa shut herself in her room without a word. It made Anna wonder sometimes if she'd done anything to upset Elsa, but she couldn't recall anything of that sort. Other times she would blame it on the death of their parents—then she would tell herself that if it were true, Elsa would not have locked herself in her room.

Tears gathered in her eyes as she turned away. Nobody had been there to comfort Anna when her parents had been lost at sea. She'd pounded at her sister's door, but all she'd gotten in response was a weak "go away". Now Anna roamed the same halls she had back then, feeling lost and forlorn. She was thirteen now—she should have collected her emotions by now, and she knew that. But all she could think of was hearing her sister quietly sob in her room and being able to do nothing about it.

As she passed by a painting, she stopped and studied it. The painting was one of her favourites. "Just a little while longer, Joan," she whispered to the female knight on the majestic white horse. It had been somewhat of a habit since the gates had closed. She had gone so long without talking to anybody that she had begun talking to the paintings. For others it might have been a sign of insanity: for Anna, it was a sign of normalcy.

She reached for a chocolate. The servants left them for her, knowing her obsession with them. The taste exploded in her mouth, a combination of orange cream and milk chocolate. Before she could fully comprehend her actions, she was shovelling chocolate in her mouth by the handful. She was filled with delight until she remembered Elsa's passion for chocolate too. Suddenly feeling sad, she looked back to Joan.

"It's going to be different today," she told the knight. "I just know it."

An idea came to her then, one that made her grin in spite of her mood. She rushed to her room and threw open the doors, taking in the mess covering her floors. Surely something in here could do her well. She grabbed a green dress. It was perfect for her task—thin material for the summer and it did not look too expensive, more like a well-paid peasant dress. _Perfect_, she thought. Shrugging it on, she raced out of her room and down the stairs until she reached the first floor.

Anna glanced around. There was no way to get out the main door; she'd tried countless times to unlock it, but she had never figured it out. Besides, the front door would be too conspicuous. She sprinted to the kitchen and tried the window there. To her relief, it was unlocked and she managed to open it with ease. She slipped out without looking back.

The feel of freedom hit Anna so strongly she had to grip the windowsill for support. Finally she was _free_—perhaps not permanently, but free nonetheless. For the first time since her parents had died, she had no stone walls to contain her. Filled with elation, she skipped towards the village.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Watch out, will ya?"

Anna jumped out of the way as the man pushed past her. "Sorry!" she called out, not knowing what she was supposed to be sorry for. Cringing inwardly, she made her way an inn with a sign outside advertising a big breakfast. She had no experience with inns, but her stomach was rumbling even with all the chocolates she'd ate. The bell on top of the door jingled as she pushed it open. "Hello?" she called.

The inn was crowded at this time of day, yet no one paid her heed except for a man behind the counter. "No, no!" he shouted over the noise of the crowd. "We are full. Come later."

"I have coins!" Anna yelled back.

The man raised an eyebrow and beckoned to her.

"Excuse me," Anna repeated over and over again as she tried to make her way to the counter. Finally she emerged from the crowd. She pulled out a few golden coins from her dress pocket and showed them to the man. He smiled and showed her into the inn kitchen, where it was bustling with cooks and yet still less crowded than the main part of the inn. She spotted a lonely-looking table sitting in the corner and quickly sat down.

"The cooks be here with you in a moment, yeah?" the man said, then rushed off without waiting for an answer.

Anna studied the kitchen. Most of the cooks were adults, but there were a few workers just a bit older than her. Their shifts had just started, but they looked stressed. As a girl passed the table, Anna caught her arm.

"Come sit," she told the brunette.

"No; I have to work," the girl insisted, trying to pull away. "I need the money from this shift."

Anna showed her a gold coin. "I can pay for the time you're supposed to be working."

The brunette's eyes widened. Without a word, she disappeared only to come back a few minutes later. She slid into the seat across from Anna. "So what's your name?"

"Anne," Anna answered. She wasn't very good at lying, but everyone in the kingdom knew her as Princess Anna, not Anne. Anne was a popular name anyway. She hoped it would be enough to keep her cover for the rest of the day. "And yours?"

"Ingrid," the girl replied. She didn't seem to know what to do; her eyes kept wandering around the kitchen. "I haven't seen you around before."

"Oh, I usually stay at home."

"That's a shame. It's nice here in the village," Ingrid said detachedly.

"I feel bad for Princess Anna and Princess Elsa. I know what it's like to live alone," Anna said. She knew it was a bold move, but she wanted to know how other people viewed the royal family.

Ingrid shrugged. "They have everything—why would you pity them?"

"Everything?" Anna retorted with too much emotion. She tried to keep her voice level as she said, "They lost their parents at such a young age, and they've been imprisoned in their castle ever since. I don't believe that it's a picnic for them."

Ingrid rolled her eyes. "There are people who are in much worse situations. Just because they're royal, why should we treat them any differently?"

As Anna was trying to form an answer, a serving boy appeared.

"What would you like this morning?"

Anna was glad for the distraction. "I'd like chicken broth and a roll," she ordered, hoping they were regular foods to eat for breakfast.

The serving boy nodded. "Anything else?"

"Oh yes! A glass of water please. Would you like anything, Ingrid? No? Then that will be all."

"So," Ingrid said as the boy scampered off, "who are you?"

Anna tried not to let her shock show. "W-what do you mean?"

Ingrid leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Any normal villager would have been kicked out the moment they stepped in here. _You_ get a special table in the kitchen. You offer me a gold coin in exchange for a shift's worth of work—I don't get paid that much in a year! You talk about the princesses. Then you order a meal that is obviously one of the least expensive meals here! So, who are you?"

Anna was tempted to tell Ingrid her true identity. But then she thought of the people who would swarm her. She wanted to have a fun day without having to worry. "I am the daughter of a rich count. I suggest you go back to work." Keeping her promise, she held out the gold coin.

Ingrid snatched it away and tucked it into her pocket. "I don't believe you," she said, and walked away before Anna could answer.

Her food was brought to her, and Anna sipped the broth, feeling lonely. It wasn't the quality of food she was used to, obviously, but it was good for an inn. She wished she could have a friend whom she could tell her secret to. After she had finished her breakfast she rose, paid Alexander the coins she'd showed him—he did not mention that she had overpaid—and left the tavern in low spirits.


End file.
